“Ideal Shape” Profile: Paul Chek Is A Natural

PAUL CHEK IS AN AMAZING MAN WHO IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF NATURAL, HOLISTIC HEALTH AND NUTRITION…READ EXERPTS FROM THIS INTERVIEW….

“…Any functional exercise that requires you to maintain your own center of gravity over you own base of support is a core exercise. This is, quite simply, because the core bridges the arms and legs. If your core is weak or uncoordinated, you will be unable to transfer a load from arms to legs or vice versa. Back injury is very likely where the core is deficient, as are shoulder and knee injuries…”

“…There is, in my opinion, no better exercise than the dead lift. I teach it to everyone who it can possibly help, from old folks to children. Confucius said, to stand up straight, bend – to bend, stand up straight. If you understand his message here, he was essentially prescribing the dead lift!..”

Paul: It is seeking high performance through the improvement and perfection of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual self. For example, using steroids to improve performance is likely to enhance the physical aspects of self, but can be very disruptive to your emotional and mental well-being. Working with a sports psychologist can be helpful to your mental performance; yet, not being able to manage your emotions in your relationships can be so stressful as to negate the benefits of the steroids or the mental training. Following a good diet and a good training program, yet displaying the emotional stability of a child, can be very detrimental; often you see such athletes having run-ins with coaches and referees. To be holistic means, in this regard, to be willing to explore the weak links in your philosophy of life so that you optimize your chances of achieving your goals, while also accepting responsibility for the fact that to the degree that you are successful, people will follow you as a leader.

Diet Detective: What is your food philosophy?

Paul: According to research presented by Deepak Chopra, we replace some 2 million blood cells every second; we replace our epidermis every three days; we replace our bone cells about every three weeks and every cell in our body each year. The question is, then, what are these replacement materials being made from?
When we eat organically grown, whole foods (that means minimally processed!), we are eating foods grown in healthy soil, where the microorganism population is working optimally. This is a critical concept to understand, because most people, even nutritionists and doctors, have NO idea that we can only be as healthy as our food, and our foods (be they plants or animals) can only be as healthy as the soil from which they emerged!
I teach my students and patients that “only life can replace life.” To the very degree that any food you eat is more void of life than you are, you must use your own life force, your own energy to enliven your food so that it can effectively become you, become human.

Diet Detective: Do you ever eat “junk” food?

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Paul: No. I love myself too much to put junk in my body.

Diet Detective: What did you eat for breakfast today?

Paul: A mix of organic vegetables and three organic eggs. I had two nice organic espressos with biodynamic butter in them though! That’s my little “love on the side” so-to-speak. I love organic espresso and have an amazing Elektra espresso machine hand-built with a matching hand-built grinder I purchased in Italy. I call my espressos “sex in a cup!”

Diet Detective: What is core training, and why is it so important?

Paul: Any functional exercise that requires you to maintain your own center of gravity over you own base of support is a core exercise. This is, quite simply, because the core bridges the arms and legs. If your core is weak or uncoordinated, you will be unable to transfer a load from arms to legs or vice versa. Back injury is very likely where the core is deficient, as are shoulder and knee injuries.
Functional exercises are exercises that optimally improve your ability to carry out your chosen objective. Whether that objective is to play with your children, weed the garden, play a sport or perform on the job, you will need to use exercises that develop the movement skills demanded by your chosen environment. Unless you operate a crane, traditional machine training is relatively useless.

Diet Detective: What is the best strength-training exercise?

Paul: There is, in my opinion, no better exercise than the dead lift. I teach it to everyone who it can possibly help, from old folks to children. Confucius said, to stand up straight, bend – to bend, stand up straight. If you understand his message here, he was essentially prescribing the dead lift!

Diet Detective: What is the worst strength-training exercise for the average person?

Paul: Any exercise you can’t perform with good form.

Diet Detective: How does a person incorporate the “spiritual” component of holistic health into his workout?

Paul: In my philosophy, to be spiritual simply means that you take responsibility for what you create moment to moment. To incorporate spirituality into your workout, I suggest you develop awareness. Become aware of what exercise offers you; are the motive and the outcome bringing you health? The Quakers have a saying that is apt here. They say, Pray, and move your feet! The artist Walter Russell states that the universe moves any request to you at the exact pace you move toward it!

Diet Detective: Which historical figure can you relate to most?

Paul: Eugen Sandow [who lived from 1867 to 1925 and is considered the father of modern bodybuilding].

Diet Detective: What do you do to reduce stress, relax and center your mind?

Paul: I do artwork. I love to draw and use watercolors. I have done hundreds of mandalas.

Diet Detective: What was your worst summer job?

Paul: Working in the Florida Keys fixing crab traps in the blazing sun for just above minimum wage. But hey, that’s what you do when you are 22 and you’ve got a 4-year-old son and money’s tight!